Amb Sanjiv Kohli

I believe that our value systems are not frozen at any point of time. These are being continuously shaped by our experiences and learnings. There is, hence, continuous reshaping, reinforcing, and expansion of our basic personality traits. As for me, each of my assignments helped me to broaden my worldview through exposure to new environments and ideas.

As an Indian diplomat, you are also representative of the idea and image of India, as perceived by the outside world. We, as Indians, are most admired when seen as a true representative of our country's cultural heritage that has always nurtured the concept of unity in diversity, as also of our civilizational values such as compassion, empathy, tolerance and human dignity.

This belief has always stayed with me as a guiding principle. It is important that the conduct of every Indian reinforces the very positive perception of India.

In my view, which can sound contrarian to many, the capacity to listen to others with patience and a constructive mindset is one of the most potent tools of diplomacy. And when it comes to dealing with diverse governments and people, our capacity to listen to them not only underlines our basic humility but also respect for their point of view, which may not be fully aligned to our own.

Arrogance or indifference to the other side's sensitivities only leads to breakdown of negotiations, or at best to outcomes that will not sustain. Relationships are built through decades of hard work and incremental accumulation of goodwill. Listening to each other helps to build trust and strengthen mutual respect and understanding.

In fact, all public servants need to listen more to provide the necessary level of comfort and reassurance to those who approach them for finding solutions to their grievances.

We must realize that the practice of diplomacy is always confronted with challenges of all sorts, such as sovereignty and national interests, domestic political compulsions, geopolitical rivalries, shifts in alliances, ideological differences, and more. Modern media and a turbulent world order add further complexity to the tasks of diplomats.

An ambassador also carries the responsibility to find a balance between the positions of the country he represents and the country he is posted in. His statements and conduct are, in a sense, under double scrutiny by the stakeholders and interest groups on both sides.

India has the largest diaspora globally. The well-being and expectations of our nationals, particularly that of the most vulnerable category of unskilled and semi-skilled workers, have always been the most important part of our work. It usually is also one of the most sensitive aspects of our mandate. The embassy has no legal jurisdiction over the employer. The embassy is also generally constrained in approaching authorities other than the host foreign ministry directly.

Given the multiplicity of challenges and the uncertainty that is integral to the environment in which a diplomat operates, we can all recall several instances where we had to take decisions based on our best judgement, knowing fully that we would also need to take full ownership of its consequences.

Let me recall a rather recent instance. I was the High Commissioner to Tanzania during the COVID time. Tanzania was one of the many countries where a vaccination facility was not available, and there was mounting panic in the Indian diaspora. There was no direct flight to India, and transits were difficult due to different COVID-related restrictions.

Our government subsequently decided to run special flights to some of these countries. However, Tanzania was not on that list, though we had over 50,000 registrations of people desperate to travel. Having been left with no official option, we decided to take upon ourselves the responsibility to negotiate sending chartered flights. We had to organize the community into groups, where the group leader would collect money directly, and the embassy would negotiate rates for booking chartered flights.

We were finally able to facilitate the travel of all the registered people, at rates lower than what the government had charged for flights arranged by them directly.

There can certainly be no honour greater than representing the country in a foreign capital. The letter of credence that an ambassador carries is an official communication from the Hon'ble President to the Head of State of the receiving country, requesting the receiving government to trust everything the Ambassador says on behalf of his country, and confirming that the Ambassador has full power to speak for his home country.

This document not only confers huge privilege but also entrusts you with the enormous responsibility to be the chief interlocutor for the national interests of your country. This sense of responsibility only grows with time.

I touched upon the nature of challenges a diplomat needs to grapple with. I also spoke about the balance one needs to find between expectations from both sides, some of which can be competing in nature. The Ambassador needs to develop local constituencies of support in different circles, such as media, business, and think tanks.

The nature and scope of these challenges also depend upon the state of bilateral relationships. Building and nurturing relationships always remains a work in progress. It is important to ensure that minor irritants are not allowed to get magnified into the possibility of a rupture of the relationship. At the same time, one cannot let noise or headlines become a distraction.

Navigating these challenges requires agility, composure, patience, and laser-sharp focus on the body of shared interests and values that bind the two countries and their people. It also needs building a stake in each other's well-being, and a continuing effort to add more substance and ambition into bilateral engagement.

I started my diplomatic career about 38 years ago. Our country has made remarkable progress. Our increased strength and capabilities have obviously led to a qualitative change in the breadth and depth of our international engagement. Our interests extend much beyond our region.

We are no longer considered as part of a problem. We are now seen as a part of the solution. The world pays attention to us because they see us as an economic powerhouse, a rising middle power with a significant military and technological muscle. This rise obviously gets reflected in the aspirations of our youth.

At the same time, there are multiple headwinds and challenges that we need to overcome to achieve the goal of being a developed country. The increasing threat to world order posed by the coercive and transactional foreign policy approach of the Trump administration, the undermining of multilateralism, and the rise of China, among other factors, could seriously impact our national interests.

While at the foreign policy level we are trying to safeguard our strategic autonomy by following a policy of issue-based multi-alignment, we need to build our national strength in areas of vulnerability and in sectors where we have critical dependency on other countries, particularly in areas of technology and critical inputs for our industry.

A leader needs to lead from the front. A good leader must be a team builder and an inspirational figure. Impactful leaders communicate clearly and openly. Accountability and integrity need to be their defining traits.

Leadership is not about possessing authority. It will be tested around how that authority is exercised. Having said that, it is also true that leadership is a process of continuous learning and growth.

We are the most youthful nation in the world. The youth of India will have the global stage as their playfield. They will therefore be ideally placed to fulfil the unfinished agenda of securing for the country its rightful place.

As a country, we need to introspect on whether we are creating the right conditions to equip them with the knowledge, skills and character to take up the responsibility that awaits them.